


Across The Bar

by KaiRaine



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec hates being the distraction, But then it’s Fluffy, Jealousy, M/M, like a tiny bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 08:58:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15457797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiRaine/pseuds/KaiRaine
Summary: If he was being honest with himself, painful as it was to watch his boyfriend flirt with another man- the warlock had himself wrapped around Alec at the pool table, as if anyone would believe the act his lover put on pretending not to know how to shoot pool- there was still no other place Magnus would rather be.—Alec is the distraction on a very important mission.





	Across The Bar

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Missed you guys. A lot has happened since I last posted in February.
> 
> This has been sitting in my drafts for a while like 2/3 finished and I finally got inspired today.
> 
> Enjoy. Love you.

Magnus was used to getting hit on. He was well aware that the way he dressed sometimes invited the stares and sexual comments. It didn't bother him that most people's first thought when they saw him was some variation of "fuck me." In fact, he often relished in the feeling of power it gave him. He loved being able to make people weak at the knees just by walking into a room or causing people to faint by throwing a suggestive wink in their direction. It was different to the power that coursed through his veins in the form of magic, but it thrilled him nonetheless.

 

He was lucky that Alexander was not the jealous type. Magnus had asked him once if it bothered him, having a lover who was so desirable to others and had been surprised to hear him say that as long as Magnus still desired only him he saw no reason to see anyone else as a threat; they were welcome to look so long as they weren't permitted to touch. Magnus, who definitely was the jealous type, wondered if perhaps Alec got off on their envy, knowing he had sole claim to what everyone else wanted. Not that he would complain if that was the case.

 

Magnus wished often that he could have as much faith in his shadowhunter as Alec had in him. It would certainly make their current situation more bearable. He had no reason not to trust Alexander and the rational part of him knew that his boyfriend would never intentionally do anything to hurt him, but the part of Magnus that was screaming at him right now, as he watched his angel flirting with their target across the mundane bar, refused to let its guard down. He ordered another martini from the waiter walking past and begged his emotions to listen to reason for a little while longer.

 

Alec was only acting because the mission demanded it.

 

The plan was fairly simple. Their target was a warlock under his jurisdiction who had been kidnapping mundane children. According to Luke, there were almost a dozen children missing, all under the age of 12. Magnus didn't want to imagine what was happening to them. Needless to say, when the combination of an anonymous tip and some successful werewolf scent tracking led the detective to the place where the children were being kept, he called in assistance. Luke, his partner, and several other officers had gone to raid the building where the kids were. Another warlock, Clary, Jace, and Isabelle were with him in case the kidnapper had left defenses while he came to the bar. Meanwhile, Alec had been sent to distract the man, since he was apparently the warlock's type. Magnus had been forced to accompany him for a multitude of reasons which included maintaining the powerful glamor he'd cast to hide his lover's runes, making sure the other warlock didn't leave the premises for any reason, and being on standby in case shit hit the fan among other things.

 

Alec had been reluctant to take on the role of the distraction, asking why Jace couldn't have done it. But then Izzy had pulled up photos of all the known men this warlock had been with and it became clear why Alec had to do it. Of course their target was a gay man whose type was the spitting image of his shadowhunter. The look of helpless resignation he had given Magnus after that was enough for him to tighten his jaw and agree to the plan with a curt nod.

If he was being honest with himself, painful as it was to watch his boyfriend flirt with another man- the warlock had himself wrapped around Alec at the pool table, as if anyone would believe the act his lover put on pretending not to know how to shoot pool- there was still no other place Magnus would rather be. Sure, it meant bearing witness to the stranger's hand slowly inching itself closer to Alec's waistband and watching his beloved physically fight the urge to swat it away (if the cue stick bending as he tightened his grasp was anything to go by), but at least Magnus didn't have to wonder. He was sure his mind would imagine far worse than reality if left to its own devices. Also, he could protect Alec if need be and he could rescue him from this awful situation as soon as he got the text from the younger Lightwood.

 

Yes, he was definitely glad they hadn't asked him to come along to retrieve the kids.

 

He took his drink from the waiter with a mindless thanks and downed it in one go. The server took the glass and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if he needed another. Magnus nodded. Without a word between them the server went back to the bar and Magnus made a mental note to make sure he tipped extra generously. 

 

His eyes hadn’t left Alexander the entire time, so when his beloved shot him a subtle but clearly distressed look from across the bar, he was painfully aware of it. Magnus was sure whatever the other warlock was whispering in his boyfriend’s ear right now was not something that he’d want to hear. He fought the urge to intervene, plan be damned, and tried to push down the bile rising in his throat. He caught Alec’s eye again and shook his head.  _ Not yet. _

 

Minutes passed like hours as their target continued to whisper to an increasingly more uncomfortable Alec, interspersed with what looked like nips or kisses on his neck. It was positively revolting. He barely noticed the waiter pressing his martini into his hand. His mouth formed the thank you without his mind’s direction.

 

Before he could even take a sip, his phone vibrated in his hand. He looked down at the screen and almost dropped his glass as the words  _ Get him  _ stared back at him.

 

Magnus wasn’t in the habit of taking the Angel’s name in vain, but he couldn’t help but whisper, “Thank Raziel.”

 

He set the drink on the table as well as a hundred dollar bill. He willed his magic to surface, pleased when it ignited his fingertips in a vengeful blood red. A certain feral glee overtook him at the idea of what he could do to the still unsuspecting warlock. Magnus gave himself over to the raging jealousy that had been threatening to overwhelm him all night, dropping both his and Alec’s glamors.

 

The other warlock reeled, finally taking his hands off of Magnus’ boyfriend. Alec immediately turned to find Magnus, who was stalking toward them in a quick but graceful manner. If he could see himself, Magnus was sure he looked like he was on a murder mission; reason quietly reminded him that he, unfortunately, had to leave their target alive.

 

Before the other warlock could gather his wits enough to turn toward whatever Alec was staring at (with a look of relief and also unfettered desire, Magnus noted with triumph), he was bound in Magnus’ magic from the neck down. He relished in the panicked look on the offender’s face when the binds tightened around his throat. 

 

Magnus channeled all his power into one hand, using it to keep a crushing hold on his prisoner. With the other, he pulled Alec down hard by his hair and kissed him roughly.

 

When he pulled away he growled “Mine” into the space between their lips. The noise that came from his shadowhunter in response was caught between a whimper and a moan, but he obviously agreed and that was enough to bring Magnus back to the task at hand.

 

He turned and grabbed the warlock by the back of his shirt, dragging him out of the mundane bar; there was only so much the other patrons would put down to a trick of the mind. Alec followed him just a half step behind. In the alley, Magnus opened a portal into the institute. 

 

When they landed, he became aware of the other shadowhunters from the mission also portalling in with Luke.

 

Izzy grinned in their direction but she was looking over his shoulder, seemingly taking in her brother’s good health. Jace was applying an iratze to his skin, looking like he’d taken the brunt of whatever they’d encountered in the warehouse but not like he needed urgent medical help. 

  
Magnus shoved the criminal into Luke’s direction. “Your kidnapper. The binding spell will hold him until I undo it, so don’t worry about him escaping.”

 

Luke nodded his thanks and looked at Alec, who had assumed his Head-of-the-Institute posture. “What should we do with him?"

 

Alec pegged the warlock with an icy glare. The flirty man who enraptured their target at the bar was gone. “It’s up to you what to do with him. We can send him to the Clave. He’s definitely broken the Accords. But, I’m sure there are some Mundane parents who’d like to see justice.”

 

Luke pulled the handcuffs off his belt like Alec had given him the permission he was looking for. 

 

Magnus manipulated the binds around the prisoner, forcing his hands behind his back. As Luke handcuffed the warlock, he recited the man’s rights, but Magnus wasn’t too interested in them anymore. His boyfriend was on the move, his sister at his side, and Magnus could not bear for them to be farther apart than the professional distance between them now.

 

The trio traveled to Alec’s office in silence. He watched all the confidence that his angel had exuded both in the bar and the ops center leave as soon as the door closed behind them. He shuttered violently in disgust, then braced himself against his desk as his whole body sagged.

 

“You okay, big brother?” Izzy asked, though it seemed obvious to Magnus he was not.

 

Alec sighed and nodded. He eased himself into his desk chair and pulled what appeared to be a blank mission report out of a filing drawer. Magnus knew better than to hope it wasn’t; Alec was meticulous about his mission reports. 

 

Izzy shot him a look.  _ Please don’t let him do this. _

 

Magnus approached the desk and stood over his boyfriend, very intentionally blocking the light so his shadowhunter was forced to look up at him.

 

“Alexander, you can do that tomorrow. Let’s go home.”

 

Alec broke eye contact. Magnus couldn’t really fault him for that; he knew his boyfriend well enough to recognize the deep shame in his mannerism and with a pang of his own guilt he reminded himself that as hard as it was to watch the sick bastard put his hands on Alec, it had to have been overwhelmingly worse for his beloved. 

 

Alec expected Magnus to be angry- and dammit, he  _ was, _ but not at Alec. Brave, selfless Alec who had, without hesitation, stepped up to do what was needed of him, single-handedly ensured the success of the rescue team, walked into a lion’s den to save a dozen mundane children. And after all of that, Alec was still putting Magnus’ feelings before his own. 

 

“Jace and I will do the report, big brother,” Izzy added. “You can fill in any important missing details from your end in the morning.”

 

Alec nodded numbly and slid the paper to her across the desk.

 

“Go home, Alec,” she urged. “Get some rest.”

 

Alec didn’t seem to have the energy to argue. Magnus sent Izzy a grateful look and opened the portal home as his boyfriend got up. Alec ignored the offer of his hand, which stung a little, but Magnus didn’t push the point. He let his partner walk through the portal undisturbed.

 

“Take care of him, Magnus,” Izzy said quietly. “Please don’t let him self-destruct.”

 

Magnus swallowed. It was a big request. But, it was one he’d gladly take on. “You have my word.”

 

He stepped into the portal and let it take him to the place and person he called home.

 

When he landed, Magnus noticed that the loft was still dark. Alec’s jacket and boots were in their usual place by the door, however, which was a good sign. Alexander was here somewhere.

 

It was then Magnus heard the shower running.

 

Normally, Magnus would rush to the bathroom and ask if he’d like company with a conspiratorial wink. And he had to admit, part of him wanted to do just that. The idea of pinning Alexander to the wall and having his jealous, filthy way with him was far from unappealing.

 

But, Magnus knew better. This shower wasn’t one that would appreciate the intrusion with a soft smile and a gentle chuckle. Nor the kind that would invite him very willingly as if he had been part of the plan all along. This shower was one Magnus didn’t dare intrude on.

 

Alec needed space. He was trying to wash away a dirtiness that took more than soap and water to cleanse. Magnus could only imagine the deep shame and guilt Alec was feeling.

 

Magnus decided it was best to wait for Alec in bed.

 

Magnus took his time undressing when he got to their room. He rightly assumed that his shadowhunter might be awhile in the shower. And he needed the time too. He had no idea how to best help Alec cope with what happened in the bar.

 

Alec stepped out of the bathroom almost a half an hour after he had gotten in. As Magnus tried to ignore the fact that his very gorgeous boyfriend was standing there in nothing but a towel, he was struck by the thought that this was probably the longest shower that Alec had ever taken by himself. Magnus would be proud if he had any idea how to make this situation better. As it was, he could barely swallow past the lump in his throat. Alec looked so defeated and lost. 

 

“Alexander,” Magnus began, hoping to get the attention of the man currently staring right through him.

 

Alec blinked and seemingly returned to himself. But, instead of joining Magnus, he turned and made a beeline for the closet.

 

“Oh, you don’t have to get all dressed up for me, darling,” Magnus called after him. 

 

Alec did not, in fact, get all dressed up. He returned after just a couple minutes in his boxer briefs with the towel slung around his shoulders. This time when Magnus offered him a hand, Alec took it silently. It was a good omen.

 

“Alexander,” Magnus started again, leading him over to their bed. “You were… incredible, darling. Absolutely incredible. I’m so in awe of you.”

 

Alec shrugged. “I didn’t do anything important.”

 

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Magnus whispered. “You saved those children. You put your life, your safety, your body on the line for those kids. You had, by far, the hardest job on this mission. I know you probably feel dirty and violated. And it’s okay to feel that way. That man was a sleezeball who prayed on children and charmed unsuspecting mundanes. I wouldn’t have wanted his hands on me either.”

 

“It wasn’t just that,” Alec interrupted. He paused to pull himself together and Magnus took the chance to take Alec’s other hand. “It was about us too. And knowing you were across the room watching. I felt like I was…”

 

“Cheating on me?” Magnus offered. “Hurting me?”

 

Alec nodded and the look of shame returned.

 

“You didn’t have any choice, Alexander,” Magnus said softly, caressing the angel’s face. “Cheating is a choice. The only thing that hurt was seeing how obviously uncomfortable you were and not being able to step in.”

 

Magnus ran his thumb over Alec’s lip and silently asked for permission. When Alec leaned in, Magnus met him halfway. The kiss was soft; Magnus could feel the relief and gratitude pouring off of Alec in waves. Magnus gave back, pouring in love, understanding, and comfort.

 

“How are you feeling, Alexander?” Magnus whispered, their lips still brushing each other as he spoke.

 

Alec pulled away and looked down at his hands. “You know I’m always yours, right?”

 

The admission floored Magnus. Of course he knew. He might’ve experienced a spike of jealousy this evening, but he never once doubted his shadowhunter.

 

“Of course,” he answered. “Angels above, Alexander. I never doubted you. I won’t deny my jealousy, but he  _ was _ touching you.”

 

That was the wrong thing to say.

 

Alec hung his head in shame. “I didn’t want him to get suspicious, or lose interest. If he had seen you, our mission could’ve been compromised. I felt like I had to let him…” Alec waves vaguely.

 

Magnus took his boyfriend’s face in both hands and forces him to look him in the eye. “You did nothing wrong, Angel. Do you understand me? Nothing. I am so sorry things got so out of hand. And if anything, it’s my fault for letting him do that to you. You were completely defenseless. You had no runes, no weapons. I was supposed to be protecting you. I could’ve put an end to it and I didn’t.  _ I  _ let him do that to you.”

 

Alec shook his head. “You did what you were supposed to. You stuck to the plan.”

 

“Plan or no plan, Alexander, he  _ hurt _ you.” Magnus’ voice rose with passion. “And it made me so angry. But not at you, my love. I’m not angry at you. I’m angry  _ for  _ you. I’m angry he violated you. I’m angry he made you feel so horrible and helpless when you didn’t deserve it. I’m angry he gets to feel no shame tonight while you shoulder a guilt that isn’t yours to bear.”

 

Silence reigned for a few long moments.

 

“I’m so sorry,” Magnus breathed. And it didn’t feel like enough. It paled in comparison to what Alec had been through that night, in part because of Magnus himself.

 

That inevitable magnetism pulled them into each other again, each seeking comfort and assurance from the other. Magnus pulled Alec closer, all but dragging his lover into his lap. Alec skimmed his hands over Magnus’ abdomen, lighting a fire in their wake. All of their nervousness, doubt, and fear came out as desperation for more of each other.

 

Magnus pulled Alec with him as he laid back on the bed. They weren’t okay yet, but as the kiss deepened Magnus knew, they would be. 

**Author's Note:**

> Phew. That was a rollercoaster. I’m wiped.
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> Yell at me—  
> Twitter: @userwhatever15  
> Tumblr: @kai-raine


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